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VasopressinVasopressor and antidiuretic hormone

Vasopressin acts through different receptors in blood vessels and kidneys. In intensive care, it can support blood pressure in vasodilatory shock; that role is distinct from its everyday physiology as an antidiuretic hormone.

What is Vasopressin?

Vasopressin is the body’s antidiuretic hormone and also a medicine used in settings such as vasodilatory shock. Its water-balance and blood-vessel effects involve different receptor pathways. 1 2

How it works

V1 signalling causes vasoconstriction, while V2 signalling promotes water retention by the kidneys. In shock treatment, the circulatory effect is central. 2

Effects studied

Septic-shock outcomes

VASST compared vasopressin-based and norepinephrine-based treatment without finding an overall mortality advantage for vasopressin. Raising pressure and improving survival are different endpoints.

Evidence: Randomised septic-shock trial. 1

What does the evidence show?

Septic-shock randomised trial

Two important receptor effects

V1 receptor activity constricts blood vessels, while V2 activity in the kidneys promotes water retention. The body uses both to manage circulation. A manufactured vasopressin infusion deliberately changes that system, which explains why pressure, organ blood supply and fluid balance all require attention.

The shock context

Septic shock can leave vessels too relaxed to maintain adequate blood pressure. Vasopressin has been studied as part of intensive-care support, alongside treatment of the infection and other measures. It is not a treatment for ordinary tiredness, dehydration or a mildly low blood-pressure reading.

What the major comparison found

VASST compared low-dose vasopressin with a norepinephrine strategy in people with septic shock. It did not establish an overall mortality advantage in the study population. Subgroup findings require confirmation before they can support treatment claims for another patient category. 1

Restoring pressure without harming perfusion

Constriction can raise blood pressure while reducing flow to vulnerable tissues. Ischaemia, heart rhythm changes and altered sodium balance therefore require attention. Treatment needs to match the circulatory problem and be closely monitored; the hormone’s natural origin does not make it inherently gentle. 2

Safety & status

Excessive vasoconstriction can compromise tissue blood supply. Arrhythmias and sodium disturbances also matter, requiring close monitoring in a critical-care setting. 2

Country and product status

Product indications and availability vary by country; current EU and Swiss status has not been independently checked for this draft.

Frequently asked questions

Is it a treatment for ordinary low blood pressure?

The shock evidence concerns critically ill patients, not routine low blood-pressure symptoms. 1

Is it the same as desmopressin?

No. Desmopressin is a related analogue with a different balance of actions and clinical uses.

Sources

This entry was rewritten from our research archive. References below are reading leads unless a completed check is explicitly noted; a full independent evidence and regulatory review is still pending.

  1. Retained paper reference Archive research lead · Retained archive reference; not independently checked for this draft
  2. Retained source reference Archive research lead · Retained archive reference; not independently checked for this draft
Research provenance

This name was discovered in the Superpower peptide index, archived 26 October 2026. Its ratings and reviewer attribution have not been adopted as our own. The archive informed this original editorial draft; independent source review is still pending.